Lawson called for throwing in local league

Jermaine Lawson, the West Indies fast bowler, has been called for a suspect bowling action while playing in a league match in Jamaica over the weekend. He was representing St Catherine Cricket Club against Westmoreland in Jamaica's Supreme Ventures Super Cup match when he was forced to switch to bowling offspin after umpire Cecil Fletcher no-balled him.

According to Jamaica Gleaner, Lawson told a local radio station that he was surprised with the umpire's decision. "After being cleared by the ICC late last year and to go and represent West Indies in Australia, and also Jamaica at the Carib Beer level and then to come into the local league and actually be called for throwing for the first time in my career, it's a bit disappointing."

He was surprised that Fletcher did not call him when he was standing at square leg. "What surprises me is that when I was at his end that was when I was called for no-ball. I thought I was being called for over-stepping. I saw he was signalling to the square-leg umpire, then I realised it wasn't for over-stepping. After the over I went to the captain and told him that I did not want to continue anymore."

The ICC rules stipulate that an umpire cannot call a bowler for throwing but Norman Malcolm, president of the Jamaica Cricket Umpires' Association, said "that only applies to ICC-related matches. In our local competition, if an umpire feels a bowler is throwing, he can call him".

In September 2005, Lawson was cleared after the ICC ruled that his bowling action complies with the laws of the game. The ICC said in a statement then that analysis of Lawson's action - reported as suspect after the first Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July 2005 - showed that his arm was not flexed at the elbow by more than the 15 degrees allowed under current regulations. Lawson was also reported after taking 7 for 78 against Australia in Antigua in 2003.